This invention relates to a device for tipping containers transported on a conveyor mechanism for filling and packaging. More particularly, the invention is directed to an apparatus for use in conjunction with an ice cream filling machine wherein it is desirable, for packaging purposes, for every other container to be tipped, or rotated approximately 180.degree., as they are translated on the conveyor. Such tipping facilitates convenient packaging in a carton and is especially desirable for containers having tapered sides.
While the invention is particularly directed to the art of tipping containers, and will be thus described with specific reference thereto, it will be appreciated that the invention may have usefulness in other fields and applications.
Dairy containers typically have tapered side walls. Accordingly, it is generally known in the dairy industry that after a container is filled, and a lid applied, it is advantageous to tip every other container as the containers move down a conveyor so that they can be more easily packaged in the carton. For space efficiency, and due to the taper of the side walls of the containers C, shipping is more efficient when the plastic containers C are included in a box B where the containers are alternately rotated 180.degree., as shown in FIG. 6.
Tipping machines are known. In the past, tipping machine assemblies have included a gripping mechanism to grasp the lip of the lid of a container to effect tipping of the container to an inverted orientation. Unfortunately, such machines have never been effective or commercially successful for their tendency to pull the lid off the container.
A wide variety of tipping devices capable of tipping containers without engaging the lid are also known. However, those known devices lack a number of convenient features, such as a photodetector for detecting movement of containers on a conveyor, a chute comprised of two selectively translatable ramps for alternately tipping the containers, and a tipper bar for accomplishing the actual tipping.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,005 to Mueller et al. shows a mechanism for alternately tipping tapered containers which are then packaged together. This patent does not show the use of a detector means detecting movement of containers. Every other container is simply automatically tipped because of the rotation of a pair of hubs. Moreover, selectively movable ramps effecting tipping of every other container are not used.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,589 to Mueller et al. illustrates an apparatus for forming a package of alternately inverted containers including a divided product stream wherein one of the streams is tipped and the other is not tipped. This patent lacks both a detector and selectively movable ramps. Multiple product streams may also be cumbersome.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,223 to Mcintyre et al. likewise teaches tipping accomplished to convert a uniform stream of tapered articles into a stream of inverted articles. This is accomplished by actuating cam surfaces to engage tipping paddles. The above noted convenient features are also lacking in this patent.
To avoid machines incorporating the defects noted above, many dairies have resorted to employing a tipper person at each machine to manually tip every other container. As can be well appreciated, however, tasks such as tipping are often more efficiently, as well as less expensively, performed by machines instead of people.